33: Should Tourism Be Treated as Economic Development? (Maree Forbes)

This week on Destination Discourse, we welcome Dr. Maree Forbes, CEO of the National Travel Center and one of the leading voices pushing DMOs to see themselves as core players in economic development. Maree brings a fresh, unapologetic thesis: tourism is economic development and most communities have failed to treat it that way.

In this episode, we dive into
• Why tourism and economic development need to stop living in separate silos
• The hidden opportunity in aligning destination marketing with business attraction and resident recruitment
• How outdated visitor stereotypes are holding communities back
• What high-end hotel brands already know about evolving traveler profiles and how destinations can catch up
• The structure that’s helping communities like Topeka thrive through unified strategy

Plus, Adam and Stuart finally acknowledge their Spotify commenters, consider launching “Super Destie” merch, and debate the ROI of promotion vs. product.

If you’re a DMO pro, chamber exec, or economic developer looking to break old habits and build a better community, this episode is your blueprint.

Mentioned in this episode
National Travel Center: https://nationaltravelcenter.org

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